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安度 (ān dù) — to spend (a period of time, especially one's old age) peacefully

Definition

Literary verb meaning to live through a stretch of time (often 晚年) in peace and comfort. Used in wishes and reflective writing, not everyday speech.

verb
to spend (a period of time, especially one's old age) peacefully

Examples

  • 安度。
    Tā xī wàng néng zài xiāng xia ān dù wǎn nián.
    He hopes to spend his remaining years peacefully in the countryside.
  • ，安度。
    Jīng guò nǔ lì, tā men zhōng yú ān dù le nà duàn kùn nan de rì zi.
    After effort, they finally got through that difficult period peacefully.
  • 安度，。
    Wǒ zhù nín ān dù wǎn nián, shēn tǐ jiàn kāng.
    I wish you a peaceful old age and good health.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

安ānpeaceful
度dùspend

「安」peaceful and「度」spend combine to mean passing time peacefully.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →
Appears in
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